I hadn’t been to the Masquerade for a show in a while but it was no different than I remembered it. Sure, the trends had changed but they were going strong all the same.

I was there to see Secondhand Serenade, which is less of a band than a man representing a band and some other guys playing music with him. The lead singer, John Vesely, is known for his touching, honest and emotional lyrics and soft yet penetrating tenor vocals.

I had no idea what to expect live and was enjoying people watching and talking to the myriad of fans that were out before the show started. One of them, 19-year-old Mason, hip and trendy with his funky short, asymmetric hair cut that was partly pink, blonde and brown, asked if I had ever seen Secondhand Serenade perform before. I informed him that I hadn’t and he promptly warned me that they were not all that good. He laughed and said that the lead singer could not carry a tune live. “Well why did you come to see them then?” I inquired. His response: “I don’t know. Because I like the band, I guess”. I was quite perplexed by his answer but, attributing his ambiguity to his youth, I didn’t press further. I would let the band do all of the talking and make up my own mind.

Amidst the music (there were three opening bands) I meandered and socialized but mostly I watched. Though I was unfamiliar with the band, I automatically recognized the lead singer – John Vesley – by the crowd of fans andcamera flashes that were surrounding him. That and his tattoos and spiky hair along with his relative good looks made him the obvious rock-star of the night. And there were multitude of happy young girls! Many crowded around, all smiles, looking cool and getting their pictures taken in the danky, dungeonesque part of the venue appropriately called “Hell”.

It wasn’t immediately clear to me what Mason was referring to when he said that Vesely couldn’t sing. Though his voice didn’t sound as strong and smooth as it did on the albums (which, I assume, can mostly be attribute to autotune) he wasn’t necessarily out of tune. And the fans seemed to dig it just fine.

However, as one song ran into another I found my mind wandering. The songs had no spark to them and they all sounded drearily the same. There was hardly a noticeable change in the tempo or themes of the songs and the lyrics failed to capture my attention. This didn’t affect the fans as they seemed quite enthralled (if only by the looks of the lead singer).

In the end, Secondhand Serenade’s set was weak and short and this reviewer walked away profoundly unimpressed.

Where you at the Atlanta show (or at a show of Secondhand Serenade in the past)? Did you enjoy it? Let us know!